Shenandoah University
Encyclopedia
Shenandoah University is a comprehensive private university
located in Winchester, Virginia
in the United States
. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,800 students across more than ninety programs in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah Conservatory, Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, School of Health Professions (Athletic Training, Nursing and Respiratory Care, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Physical Therapy) and the School of Education & Human Development. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church
.
The U.S. News and World Report's
2012 Best Colleges and Universities listing placed Shenandoah University at 27th (Tier 1) in its Regional Universities (South) category..
, Virginia, by Dr. Abraham Funkhouser and Professor Jay Fries. Shenandoah Seminary became a junior college in 1924, changing its name to Shenandoah College the following year. Shenandoah Conservatory became a separate corporation in 1937 and began granting four-year degrees. In 1960, Shenandoah College and the Shenandoah Conservatory moved to the current seventy-five-acre (305,000 m²) Winchester campus and began offering four-year degrees in 1974 (at which time the college and conservatory corporations were merged). Having obtained university status on January 1, 1991, today the Shenandoah University student body represents forty-six U.S. states while the student body and faculty combined represents seventy-three countries.
, and the Health Professions campus located near the Winchester Medical Center. The third, the Northern Virginia Campus, is located in Leesburg
, Virginia. There are also a number of satellite offices and facilities located throughout Winchester.
-, master's
-, and doctoral-degree levels in six schools:
Shenandoah University's business school, the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
.
sports, ten for men and ten for women.
The men's sports are:
The women's sports are:
All teams compete as members of the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
and the department holds membership in:
In the Spring of 2008, the women's softball team captured its first-ever USA South Athletic Conference championship in school history, finishing with a record of 30-12 (15-3 in conference).
In the Spring of 2009, the men's baseball team won the USA South Championship and were ranked 6th in the nation by the end of the year. Their No. 6 national ranking is the highest finish ever for any SU athletic team. In Spring 2010 SU baseball won the NCAA USA South Championships for the second year in a row.
In the Fall of 2010, the school announced that they will be joining the ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference
) by no later than 2012.
School of Business, the Brandt Student Center, the History and Tourism Center, and the forthcoming construction of new administrative offices on the site now housing the Virginia National Guard
. More construction is expected to take place in the coming years around the east campus near Shentel Stadium
. This growth parallels increasing recognition on the academic front, notably in the aforementioned U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges and Universities edition.
agreements with thirty-six international colleges and universities. One such partner institution is the Ulyanovsk State University
in Ulyanovsk
, Russia
.
It also participates in the British Council
's Business Education Initiative
and Irish-American Scholars program in conjunction with universities and colleges in Northern Ireland
, United Kingdom
.
legend of Zynodoa, a brave whose life of strength and courage and his appreciation of beauty resulted in having a river and a valley named for him. Popular myth further ascribes translation of the word "Shenandoah" to mean "daughter of the stars."
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
located in Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,800 students across more than ninety programs in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah Conservatory, Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, School of Health Professions (Athletic Training, Nursing and Respiratory Care, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Physical Therapy) and the School of Education & Human Development. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
.
The U.S. News and World Report's
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
2012 Best Colleges and Universities listing placed Shenandoah University at 27th (Tier 1) in its Regional Universities (South) category..
History
The university was founded as Shenandoah Seminary in 1875 in DaytonDayton, Virginia
Dayton is a town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population is 1,530 as of the 2010 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Dayton is located at...
, Virginia, by Dr. Abraham Funkhouser and Professor Jay Fries. Shenandoah Seminary became a junior college in 1924, changing its name to Shenandoah College the following year. Shenandoah Conservatory became a separate corporation in 1937 and began granting four-year degrees. In 1960, Shenandoah College and the Shenandoah Conservatory moved to the current seventy-five-acre (305,000 m²) Winchester campus and began offering four-year degrees in 1974 (at which time the college and conservatory corporations were merged). Having obtained university status on January 1, 1991, today the Shenandoah University student body represents forty-six U.S. states while the student body and faculty combined represents seventy-three countries.
Locations
The university operates on three primary campuses. Two are in Winchester: the main campus located near Interstate 81Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
, and the Health Professions campus located near the Winchester Medical Center. The third, the Northern Virginia Campus, is located in Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
, Virginia. There are also a number of satellite offices and facilities located throughout Winchester.
Schools and Programs
The university offers over eighty programs at bachelor'sBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
-, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
-, and doctoral-degree levels in six schools:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Harry F. Byrd, Jr.Harry F. Byrd, Jr.Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. is a retired American politician. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate from 1965 to 1983. He is most notable for leaving the Democratic Party in 1970 and becoming an Independent, although he continued to caucus with the Democrats. He is the son of Harry F....
School of Business - Shenandoah Conservatory
- School of Health Professions
- Bernard J. DunnBernard J. DunnBernard Joseph Dunn was a noted Washington, D.C. area scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He cofounded Braddock Dunn & McDonald with fellow Fordham University professors in 1959, and served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientist.-Biography:Bernard Dunn was born in the Bronx, New...
School of Pharmacy - School of Education & Human Development Programs of Study
Shenandoah University's business school, the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business was founded in 1916 to accredit schools of business worldwide. The first accreditations took place in 1919. The stated mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership. It is regarded...
.
Athletics
The university's Department of Athletics sponsors twenty intercollegiateCollege athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
sports, ten for men and ten for women.
The men's sports are:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Tennis
- Track and Field (indoor)
- Track and Field (outdoor)
- Soccer
The women's sports are:
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Field hockey
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and field (indoor & outdoor)
- Volleyball
All teams compete as members of the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and the department holds membership in:
- USA South Athletic ConferenceUSA South Athletic ConferenceThe USA South Athletic Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III...
- Colonial States Athletic ConferenceColonial States Athletic ConferenceThe Colonial States Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III collegiate athletic conference in the Mid-Atlantic United States. There are currently twelve full member institutions as of 2008. The conference's membership, as with most Middle Atlantic conferences, has been shaken up as a result...
(men's lacrosse) - Middle Atlantic CorporationMiddle Atlantic CorporationFounded in 1912, the Middle Atlantic Conferences is an umbrella organization of three athletic conferences which competes in the NCAA's Division III. The 16-member teams are located in the Mid-Atlantic United States....
(field hockey, track and field (indoor and outdoor))
In the Spring of 2008, the women's softball team captured its first-ever USA South Athletic Conference championship in school history, finishing with a record of 30-12 (15-3 in conference).
In the Spring of 2009, the men's baseball team won the USA South Championship and were ranked 6th in the nation by the end of the year. Their No. 6 national ranking is the highest finish ever for any SU athletic team. In Spring 2010 SU baseball won the NCAA USA South Championships for the second year in a row.
In the Fall of 2010, the school announced that they will be joining the ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia, with other members in North Carolina and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference in Texas is larger in Division III. -History:The conference was...
) by no later than 2012.
Campus expansion
Shenandoah has recently undergone significant expansion, as evidenced by the new facilities such as Halpin-Harrison Hall, the new home of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr.Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. is a retired American politician. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate from 1965 to 1983. He is most notable for leaving the Democratic Party in 1970 and becoming an Independent, although he continued to caucus with the Democrats. He is the son of Harry F....
School of Business, the Brandt Student Center, the History and Tourism Center, and the forthcoming construction of new administrative offices on the site now housing the Virginia National Guard
Virginia National Guard
The Virginia National Guard consists of the Virginia Army National Guard and the Virginia Air National Guard. It is part of the Government of Virginia though the National Guard across the United States is mostly funded by federal monies. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges...
. More construction is expected to take place in the coming years around the east campus near Shentel Stadium
Shentel Stadium
Shentel Stadium is a 3,000-seat stadium in Winchester, Virginia where it serves as home to the football team of Shenandoah University.Built in 2001 the stadium's name come from a sponsorship agreement with Shenandoah Telecommunications Company ....
. This growth parallels increasing recognition on the academic front, notably in the aforementioned U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges and Universities edition.
Partnership relations
The university has partner-institution memorandum-of-understandingMemorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
agreements with thirty-six international colleges and universities. One such partner institution is the Ulyanovsk State University
Ulyanovsk State University
Ulyanovsk State University is a public, research university, located in Ulyanovsk, Russia. City of Ulyanovsk is situated on the Volga River, about 440 miles east of Moscow and has a population of 700,000...
in Ulyanovsk
Ulyanovsk
Ulyanovsk The city is the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin , for whom it is named.-History:Simbirsk was founded in 1648 by the boyar Bogdan Khitrovo. The fort of "Simbirsk" was strategically placed on a hill on the Western bank of the Volga River...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
It also participates in the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
's Business Education Initiative
Business Education Initiative
The Business Education Initiative is a study-abroad programme run initially by the Department for Employment and Learning, but since 2006, is delivered by the British Council in association with the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland.- Activities :Each year approximately...
and Irish-American Scholars program in conjunction with universities and colleges in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Notable alumni
- Carter BeaufordCarter BeaufordCarter Anthony Beauford is an American drummer, percussionist, and founding member of Dave Matthews Band. He is known for his ability to adapt to a variety of genres, and both his ambidextrous and his open hand drumming styles. He plays the drums and sings backing vocals in the band...
, drummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
of the Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
- J. Robert SpencerJ. Robert SpencerRobert John Spencer is an American actor and singer, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his work in the Broadway musical Next to Normal....
, Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
Nominee for Best Actor in Broadway's Next to Normal, "Nick Massi" in the Original Broadway Cast of Jersey BoysJersey BoysJersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
Technology
- A 2005 surveySampling (statistics)In statistics and survey methodology, sampling is concerned with the selection of a subset of individuals from within a population to estimate characteristics of the whole population....
conducted by Intel ranked the university at 56th in its top-100 "Most Unwired Colleges" list, just behind Bucknell UniversityBucknell UniversityBucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
in LewisburgLewisburg, PennsylvaniaLewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and ahead of Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in IthacaIthaca, New YorkThe city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in CambridgeCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The ranking measures accessibility for broadbandBroadbandThe term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
and wirelessWirelessWireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
internet.
Name
According to the university's official history page, the name Shenandoah is derived from the Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
legend of Zynodoa, a brave whose life of strength and courage and his appreciation of beauty resulted in having a river and a valley named for him. Popular myth further ascribes translation of the word "Shenandoah" to mean "daughter of the stars."
External links
- su.edu, university's official website
- su.edu/conservatory, Shenandoah Conservatory's module
- "Shenandoah University", undated profile with rankings at U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
- SU Hornets Shenandoah University Athletics webpage
- Shenandoah University College of Arts and Science